


Halos are for Angels (Part Two)

by cassbuttandsquirrel



Series: Barkeep POV [3]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Cas and Dean are co-parenting - Freeform, Gen, Parent-teen relationships - Freeform, Rated teen for language
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-25
Updated: 2020-08-25
Packaged: 2021-03-06 20:22:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,406
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26094832
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cassbuttandsquirrel/pseuds/cassbuttandsquirrel
Summary: It’s definitely sounding more and more like some sort of mafia situation the more that Dean spoke. Donnie has a healthy respect for his own life and decides to continue on under the pretense that this was a totally normal thing for a family of exterminators to be concerned about.“I mean, she’s a teenager, Dean, I’m sure she can handle herself around some chemicals and rabid animals.”
Relationships: Claire Novak & Dean Winchester, Donnie (Supernatural: Inside Man) & Dean Winchester
Series: Barkeep POV [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1769449
Comments: 15
Kudos: 96





	Halos are for Angels (Part Two)

**Author's Note:**

> Title taken from a Blanche Carter song from 1996. Mainly because could you IMAGINE Claire getting a badass fight scene to this music??? Imagine if this is how we were introduced to her. Incredible and, dare I say, Iconic. 
> 
> [This fic did NOT go where I had planned. Claire was not supposed to be in it at all, but when she made her appearance I couldn't say no. I hope you all enjoy it nonetheless!]

Dean makes it back inside a bit after 8 by which time Donnie had welcomed Doug and Sally back and had sort of assumed that Dean was gone for the night. 

“Long phone call,” Donnie comments when he finds himself standing in front of Dean again.

Dean glances at the time on his phone before slipping it back into his jacket. He agrees absently and gets comfortable on the barstool. He leans back against the wall, his fingers drumming against the bar’s edge. 

“Figure Doug’ll be up for a game?” he nods towards the worn pool table near the bathrooms. 

“You cleaned him out of 60 bucks last time, I’d give it a few weeks.” 

“You got any coffee in this joint?” 

When Donnie comes back with steaming mugs for the both of them, Dean’s sitting in the same position staring out into space. He takes his coffee without a word and Donnie reaches for the little folding stool he keeps behind the bar on slow nights. Damn, it feels good to rest his feet. He’s about halfway through his coffee when Dean asks him about kids.

“Naw, never had any. What about you?”

Dean’s answer is a ridiculously vague hum but before Donnie can spend too much time analysing the shit out of that mystery he says:

“Cas has a kid.” 

_Cas_ Cas? Donnie’s not sure why he feels so incredulous. “I guess that explains the,” he gestures to his own outfit, “accountant getup.”

That gets a laugh out of Dean. “Naw, the bastard was born in that shit. Seriously - whole ten years I’ve known him, I’ve seen him in jeans _once._ ” 

“So this kid… what’s their name?” 

“Her name is Claire. She’s not really his kid, but he’s the nearest thing to her dad I guess. She’s his genetically, for as much as that counts, but they actually met a lot later in life.”

Donnie cannot imagine Cas being the type of guy to fuck around without protection and end up with a random daughter. “Was it like a sperm donor situation?”

The man looks Donnie straight in the eyes and says: “Something like that.” in a way that tells Donnie it is absolutely nothing like that. 

“Anyways, that’s what the call was about. She’s awesome, she really is, but she’s a teenager and, ya know,” Dean shrugs, “likes giving her old man a hard time.” 

“She live with him?” 

“Nah, she lives with a family friend of ours in South Dakota. Jody does her best but -” Dean trails off.

“Getting into trouble at school?”

“Yeah there and everywhere else.” Dean’s voice is gruff with fond frustration. “We sent her to Jody so she could have a life, ya know, a normal life, and all she does is go out looking for all the things that go bump in the night.”

Donnie thinks to himself that’s a weird way of phrasing teenage rebellion, but maybe she’s getting into some sort of nightlife problems? 

“Would you ever consider moving her here?” Donnie’s a bit hesitant to make the suggestion, but bringing a family back together seems like a good thing. 

Dean is quiet for a bit before he shrugs and replies:

“If we did that she wouldn’t be able to stay out of the life. She’d hate me to hear me say it but - that’s just too dangerous.”

It’s definitely sounding more and more like some sort of mafia situation the more that Dean spoke. Donnie has a healthy respect for his own life and decides to continue on under the pretense that this was a totally normal thing for a family of exterminators to be concerned about.

“I mean, she’s a teenager, Dean, I’m sure she can handle herself around some chemicals and rabid animals.” 

Dean stares at him for a bit too long, expression inscrutable. 

"The thing about this business is that Sam and I? We're veterans. We're some of the oldest motherfuckers in the whole outfit. This line of business," Donnie follows Dean's hand as it runs down the front of his jacket absentmindedly, "it's got a pretty shitty life expectancy. I never expected to make it to 30; 25 was a big deal. She's a kid, Donnie. She could do it, I know she could do it, and she could be one of the best, but the point is she shouldn't _have_ to do it." 

He settles back in his seat. 

"Sam and I we've lived our life and I just want to give her a chance to live hers."

As Donnie wracks his brain for some form of answer to the purely bizarre explanations Dean was offering, the ringtone from earlier buzzes from Dean's pocket.

"Speak of the devil," Dean mutters as he puts it to his ear. This time, he stays in his seat. 

"Claire, what's up?" 

Donnie can barely hear a female voice on the other side of the phone. Reluctantly he moves down the bar to be polite, resigning himself to a one-sided conversation. 

"By yourself?" 

Donnie busies himself with a dishrag, feigning wiping down his work area. 

"You can't bullshit a bullshitter, kid. Your dad said no and I agree with him." 

Donnie raises his eyebrows at the scarred bartop. The voice on the phone raises in pitch, but he still can’t make out any words.

"Yeah, of course Cas called me!" 

Donnie begins to shine the stainless steel sink with slow, meticulous wipes. 

"You've got a brain kid - and you can use it!" There's an extended pause and Donnie risks a glance up to see Dean's long-suffering expression. "Look, don't quote me to me. The world has changed and you need more than just your GED. … I'm not saying you can't do jobs with us. Cas'll hate me for saying this but you're good Claire, you're damn good. You're too good to be that stupid. Sam doesn't even do jobs alone and he's the best in the whole goddamn business!"

Donnie, unable to restrain his curiosity any longer, drifts closer. 

"Claire. If you want to work with us that's fine. But you need something else. An income at least. And look at Alex! There are other ways to help people. Go to college, join a campus activism club or learn jujitsu, become a fucking firefighter, I don't care. There's life outside of this business and you need to experience it. If only to know what you're fighting for." 

Another pause and Donnie acts as if the liquor shelf needs organising. 

"You can work with us on weekends or holidays, or you can take a break and run research, make some connections at college. There are other ways to help that won't compromise your health." 

Donnie makes a note that “the business” relies on research, scholarly connections and risks to your health. Also, the gin is getting low. 

"Sam's on his way back from doing that job in Bismark with Carol, so if it makes you feel better I'll get him to swing by Brookings and take care of it. … It's fine Claire, the Bismark thing turned out to be mostly rumour. They'll handle it." 

Donnie's running out of things to shift around and he's just about to surrender himself to the kitchen, when Dean’s voice suddenly turns soft. 

"Cas ain't the only one who worries about you, you know." 

Donnie can hear the faint response of the girl in Sioux Falls before Dean gruffly signs off with a quick "be nice to Jody," and a goodbye. 

Despite Dean's earlier complaints, Donnie thinks he handled the situation quite well, and he tells Dean as much. 

His friend shrugs. "We'll see when Sammy gets home. My guess- she'll be playing hooky anyways. If there's anything she inherited from her dad it's his goddamned hero complex." He shakes his head fondly. 

Donnie wisely says nothing, and Dean smoothly transitions to a new conversation about the recent inflation of meat prices. He lets himself be distracted. When Dean leaves two hours later he does so with the promise of bringing Cas along the next time he visits. Most likely an offhand friendly comment, but Donnie takes it to heart. The familiarity of three years between them had started to wear holes in majority of Mr. Remington’s stories. 

He is still riding the high of revealed secrets when he locks up for the night, but dread lingers not far under his skin. All this curiosity might yet get him killed.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it =D  
> Kudos and comments are always appreciated. 
> 
> Best, cassbuttandsquirrel
> 
> [Formatting errors are my own -- I promise to comb over this fic in the upcoming days. ]
> 
> Find me on [ Twitter! ](https://twitter.com/librarian_gamer?s=07)


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